The Taste of Your Name
by Uber-l33t Rabid Ninja Squirrel
Summary: Hermione thinks her life is perfect, until she starts lusting for one not her boyfriend. DMHG.
1. Changes

_A/N: I don't own HP, yadda yadda yadda. Believe me, if I did, Malfoy would have overpowered Voldemort and gone on to be an uber-sexy evil demon. And I would have married Tom Felton, or at least the look-alike who goes to my school. _

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Slumped back in his seat, black-booted feet propped on the luggage rack opposite, a very unenthusiastic Draco Malfoy waited for the start of the train back to school. He was perusing the students entering the train outside his compartment, trying to ignore his cronies stuffing themselves with Chocolate Frogs a few feet away. He noticed many of the girls giving him appreciative glances as they passed by- and why shouldn't they? He knew his black leather jacket and tight black shirt emphasized his pale skin and oh-so-casually styled blonde hair. All the girls were given an once-over by his icy eyes as they passed by; some were definitely worth his efforts this term.

Spying a black helmet-haircut bobbing outside the entrance to the train, Draco groaned inwardly. Pansy was good shag, sure, but was entirely too clingy. She didn't seem to notice, however, that he rarely returned her affections except in bed, which was a good thing. Monogamy just wasn't something that he was into.

She sauntered into the compartment, her red plaid miniskirt barely covering her ass. Stretching sinuously as she pushed her bag onto the luggage rack, the slits in her black tank-top exposed enough skin to make it clear she hadn't bothered wearing a bra. Crabbe and Goyle both stopped stuffing their faces to leer at her over-exposed body. Pansy settled herself next to Draco, looking up at him through mascara-encrusted lashes.

"Miss me?" she purred throatily as she ran black-lacquered fingernails through his carefully gelled hair. Draco bit back a wince- it had taken him a good hour to get it just so casually messed.

"Mmmmm," he murmured noncommittally, still watching the coming and goings of people outside the compartment. He made a face as Potter, friggin' Potter, strolled through the train as if he owned it with the Weaselette draped on his arm. He had this sappy schoolboy look about him as she whispered in his ear and nuzzled her long nose against his neck. Weaselette's brother followed the lovebirds, obviously deeply disturbed at the affection between his best friend and his sister.

_That's weird,_ Draco thought. _The third member of the golden trio is missing- I wonder if they finally had the sense to ditch that bookworm._ Then his brain did a double-take as a familiar figure stepped onto the train. _HOLY SHIT! _ _THE MUDBLOOD GOT CURVES!_

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	2. Together

_A/N: I'm sorry these two chapters are so short. I'm in three honors classes, and so I don't have much time to write (this one is being completed and posted at 1 AM!) I'll try to make the next few longer. _

_Please review!_

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Fists clenched in fury, Hermione Granger stormed down the train in search of her friends. She needed to calm down before going to the Head's car- being infuriated at one of his best mates wasn't going to start off whatever qualified as a 'good' relationship with Blaise Zabini, the new head boy from Slytherin. Harry and Ginny were snogging on the seat as she slammed the compartment door open, and they broke apart red-faced and surprised.

"My _goodness,_ Hermione," Ginny exclaimed at the sight of her furious friend, "what happened to you? You look royally nettled!" Picking up a magazine on the bench opposite from her friend, Hermione plunked herself down in its place.

"Oh, nothing _much_. Except for possibly being leered at by ferret-face the moment I step on the train!" she exploded. "I walk in, happy for a new school year and my classes, and what do I know- he's got Parkinson trying to climb inside his skin while he just stares at my breasts! God I swear if I wasn't head girl I would have hexed his arse off the train so fast-"

"Hermione!" Ginny put her hand on her friend's arm to calm her. "Wait, you're saying _Malfoy,_ 'perfect pureblood of the century' was ogling _you_???"

"Yes! He's such an arrogant bastard, I can't believe it! Just smirked at me, like he had every right to be staring at my chest!" Harry coughed lightly from his seat next to Ginny, looking uncomfortable.

"Um, M'ione much as I understand your feelings" he said, turning bright crimson, "can we _not_ talk about your breasts? I've known you for six years, that's just not something I want to think about you having!"

Doubled over laughing, Ginny agreed. "Yeah, and I'd kind of prefer you stopped mutilating my magazine!" Hermione looked down at the object in her hands- in the height of her fury; she'd rolled it into a tube the size of a pencil. Blushing as red as Ginny's hair, she released the magazine.

"Er… sorry about that…"

"It's no problem, Hermione. I don't mean to send you away or anything, but aren't you supposed to be in the Head's cabin by now?"

She sighed sadly. Ginny was correct, and she certainly couldn't start the school year by shirking her head girl duties.

"I know. I just wanted to say hello to Ron first." Ginny, who had finally managed to stop laughing, smiled knowingly, but Harry looked confused. He had a right to be- Ginny was the first and only person Hermione had told about her and Ron's blossoming relationship. He had kissed her a few weeks before, after congratulating her on being named head girl. He'd been shy for days afterwards. She'd convinced him, finally, after days of work that she was interested in him too, and just thinking of the sweetness of that moment made a wisty smile creep across her face.

"Couldn't you just say hi to him at the feast?" Harry asked, portraying his usual oblivion to the world around him in the fact that he failed to notice the lovesick look in his friend's eyes.

"Yeah, Harry, I guess I could." Hermione stood up and walked to the door of the compartment. "Can you guys get my trunks out of the train when we get to Hogwarts? I don't fancy lugging them down the hallway of a moving train." Ginny said she would, and Hermione slipped out the door- and ran right straight into the chest of a very tall, very gangly Ron Weasley. She looked up and blushed, and grinning, he bent down to kiss her. "Ron, I'm going to the head's compartment to meet with Professor McGonagall and…" her face lost a little of its luster here "…Blaise."

Ron wrapped his arm around her supportively and looked down on his favorite person in the whole world.

"M'ione, you gonna be okay? Rooming with a Slytherin and all." She smiled at his concern and pulled him down the hallway after her.

Not wanting to mention the earlier incident, in case Ron would want to go defend her honor, she joked "Be glad it's not Malfoy."

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	3. Exchange

_A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to update- my cat died Friday, and I'm kinda blah about everything right now. But I decided to try to write a little- and at 12:28AM, I will now go start homework. _

_I'm not sure if I really like this chapter, so it might change a bit. _

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As Professor McGonagall called for the new head boy and girl to come to the front of the room, Draco leaned back against the wall and propped his feet on the Slytherin table. He saw Filch shoot him a look but could have cared less. What could Filch do to him that his father couldn't get him out of? If there _was_ something, Draco had yet to imagine it.

Sipping leisurely from a goblet full of smuggled firewhiskey, he reached an arm around Pansy's shoulders until his hand rested on her breast. She leaned into him and looked up through her eyelashes, about to make some simpering remark. Thankfully Blaise was announced as Head Boy just at that moment, and Draco was able to completely ignore anything she said. He watched as the mudblood, Granger, stepped up as Head Girl. While her newly-acquired curves may have surprised him on first sight, he noted that she was still the same bucktoothed, frizzy-haired bint she'd always been.

"Merlin, the only accessory that could benefit her ugly face would be a paper bag," Pansy muttered in his ear. Draco really had to agree with her. The bookworm seemed to have no sense of style, but what would you expect from a muggle? Truly, he felt bad for Blaise. The poor man had to share a common room with the mudblood, putting up with the golden trio and her bookishness, not to mention seeing her ugly mug every morning.

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Hermione and Ginny were walking out of the Great Hall together when Ron caught up to them. He caught her around the waist and twirled her, and Hermione laughed in delight as he pulled her out of the twirl and kissed her. He wasn't a talented kisser, but he was her best friend, and she loved him anyways. She kissed him back, running her hands through his hair. Ron murmured his approval and pulled her closer. Hermione felt someone nudge her, but she didn't pay attention until she heard a deep voice drawling from somewhere on her left.

"Hoping she'll do your homework again this year, Weasel?" Hermione jerked away from her boyfriend, turning to find Malfoy smirking down at her, his slut hanging on his arm. "We all know that's the only reason anyone would kiss a mudblood."

Ron turned to him, incensed, and glared fiercely.

"Oi, Hermione's my _girlfriend_! You have no right talk to about her that way!" Draco looked up at him, gray eyes a cold as ice.

"You sure you don't want to consult Potter before you start snogging her? I'm _sure_ he wouldn't want to be excluded from this- the golden trio share everything, don't they?"

Ron growled in anger and made to lunge at the smirking Slytherin, but Hermione held him back.

"Ron, it's not worth it. Come on." She pulled him down the hallway, Pansy's shrill laughter ringing in her ears.


	4. Showdown

_A big thank you to all of those who reviewed, and to The Queen Of Mystery for beta-ing this chapter. I also want to commend a very close friend for her help on this chapter, as the dialogue would have never survived without her. _

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Before leaving the Gryffindor common room later that night, Hermione waved at Ginny, who was ensconced on a couch with Harry, and kissed Ron goodbye. Slipping out of the portrait hole, she turned back to wave at her boyfriend and walked quickly towards her new dorm.

_Sharing a living space with Zabini- this is going to be interesting,_ she thought._It could be worse, though- I might have to see Malfoy every morning._ _God, living with him? I'll choose death by torture, thanks._

She muttered the password to the wolf that guarded the head's dorm, and slipped inside. The walls were painted a lovely sea green, and French doors opened onto a terrace that over looked the lake. It was homey and warm, and Hermione made to make herself at home- until she caught sight of white-blonde hair gleaming in the firelight.

Malfoy was stretched out on one of the plush couches that circled the fireplace. Silhouetted by the dancing flames, his face was missing his signature sneer. He dozed in _her_ common room- and Hermione found herself thinking that if she wasn't so damn aggravated at him for ogling her… she would think he was attractive. As soon as she realized what she was thinking, the girl immediately slapped herself on the forehead.

_Get a grip, Granger! Come on- what's wrong with you!?_ Hermione mentally berated herself, her breathing uneven. Where on earth did that come from! And why did she keep finding her eyes attracted to his sleek hair when he threw it back, setting off his fa- Violently, she shook her head, knocking books off a shelf behind her. They clattered to the floor, and she scrambled to pick them up.

"Can't even hold a steady conversation with yourself- is that a special trait of Muggles? Or just Mudbloods?" Hermione spun around, startled, her face bright red. Without her noticing, Draco had woken up and had been listening to her tirade. He now sat watching her, amused.

Valiantly trying - and failing - to hold on to her sparse dignity, she started sputtering.

"Well... you - you- why are you even in here? As far as I know, you're not head boy! Where's Zabini? By Merlin, if the ass let you in here…."

For a few minutes she threw random comments at him, turning scarlet when she realized he was still sitting there with one eyebrow quirked- the rest of his face carefully expressionless.

_I must sound like a blithering idiot, _she thought. _At least I didn't end with 'well, yo' momma'…_

Her face hot and eyes stinging, Hermione attempted to smooth over her rambling escapade by distractedly picking the books she'd knocked off. When she finished that, she desperately looked around for something to do. There was nothing. She shuffled randomly with some papers on the table, biting her tongue while Malfoy smirked at her humiliation. She wished he'd say something- anything- but when he did, blood rose in her vision.

"Find me attractive, Granger? Too bad. I don't waste my time on mudblood whores."

"Whores? You want a whore? Go shag Pansy, then! The entire school knows she's in bed with all of Slytherin!" Hermione stopped, amazed at herself for using such strong language. Malfoy noticed this, and started laughing.

"Seriously, Granger. You think _Pansy's_ bad? She may look like a hooker, but I feel the most pity for Blaise. Having to see an ugly, frizzy-haired mudblood every morning? I think I'd rather sleep with Scarface himself than have to live that."

"Oh, _would you now????_"

Malfoy stepped closer, and his eyes traveled slowly up and down her body, taking in all the changes from the summer. They stayed on her new breasts for long moments, and she fought the impulse to slap him.

"At least _Potter_ is attractive."

She took hold of that impulse, gripped it tightly, and rode it all the way. The resounding crack echoed in the large common room.

"_Fucking__bint!"_ Malfoy screamed. He held one hand to his jaw as a large red welt appeared where she had hit him. "_You little BITCH! NOBODY touches a Malfoy!" _Lunging forward, he reached for her throat with both hands. She dodged out of reach and away. Malfoy followed, and she backed away from him until she hit a table. He closed in on her and she ducked out from under his arms, jumping over the couch he'd been sitting on earlier. He moved to do the same and she decided enough was enough. As Malfoy's feet landed on the cushions, Hermione grabbed hold of the back of the couch and flipped it forward. The enraged Slytherin was catapulted into the fireplace.

He pulled himself out of the fire, patting down smouldering spots on his clothes. Hermione stood by, unsure of what would happen. To her surprise, he stalked over to a large mirror that was hanging on the wall. When he caught sight of his hair, Malfoy howled his displeasure. The ends of his pristine white-blonde locks were badly singed.

Smirking a very Malfoy-like smirk, Hermione picked up her things and sauntered out of the room.

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	5. Distress

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On the day classes were to start, Blaise Zabini's cell phone rang, awakening him from slumber. While Dumbledore had managed to block almost any way of apperating in and out of the castle, and most harmful magics, he seemed to have been unable to grasp the concept of a phone and internet service. As it was, those who were brave enough to bring such muggle devices to school found them quite usable and untapable by magic. Blaise thought they were one of the most idiotic inventions muggles had ever come up with- yet, the best way to communicate inside Hogwarts undetected. Groggily lifting his head from the pillow, the brunette boy answered with a slurred "H'lo?"

Entirely too chipper for that early in the morning, Draco greeted him enthusiastically. Within moments of picking up the phone, however, Blaise was jolted fully awake by a blood-curdling scream from Draco's end. He threw some clothes on and ran full speed to the Slytherin dungeons, to find his friend standing in front of a mirror, still screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Draco! Draco! _What in the name of Slytherin are you screaming about??"_

"EEP!"

"Try it again, Draco. And breathe, this time." The blonde took a few gasping breaths and stopped trying to scream.

"My…my…my…hair….." he picked up a lock, the end of which was slightly singed. "It's…ruined!!!!"

Draco was in shock. His hair was ruined. Destroyed. His perfectly blonde, perfectly sexy, perfectly styled hair was gone. Gone! "It's _GONE!!!!!_" He wailed. "Murdered! Ruined! Brutally slaughtered! Why, oh why did the cavemen have to invent fire? Because of them, my hair is_ gone!!_" Draco continued to sob over the loss of his hair as Blaise shook him, cussed at him, and poured water down the back of his neck. Nothing worked. _I'm going to regret this later,_ Blaise thought. Then for the second time in less that 12 hours, Draco was slapped smartly across his face.

With lightning reflexes, Draco grabbed his friend's wrist. "I thought I _told_ you, mudblood. _Nobody_ touches a Malfoy," he growled. Catching sight of the cold, murderous look in the taller boy's eyes, Blaise twisted out of his grim and backed up.

"Mudblood? You know I'm as pure as you, Draco. Wait, did Hermione do this to you?" Blaise was utterly confused. Draco whirled on him, face light with fury.

"Oh, so _now_ you're on first name terms with the Gryffindor slut? You must have found it awfully funny, chortling over how she slapped me after I left." He turned his back coldly on the Head Boy and drew a pair of scissors out from the vanity. Ignoring Blaise he meticulously snipped off the singed ends of his hair.

"She _slapped _you? What on earth are you talking about?"

"Oh, yeah, she slapped me. And then the fucking bint _burnt my hair!"_ Draco whirled around, the scissors snapping and glinting in the light. "Wait, you live with her. You can get back at her for this. And you will, won't you? Because we're friends. Right?"

Blaise nodded his agreement- even as Head Girl, Herm- _Granger_ – had no business messing with a Malfoy. As he turned to leave, Draco spoke again.

"Erm, thanks for snapping me of out that." Suddenly he turned towards the brunette and gave him a hard stare. It was a look that Blaise knew well, a look that said don't-even-think-about-messing-with-me.

"Mention it to_anyone,_ and I'll personally see to it you aren't alive to take your N.E.W.T.S."

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